Speak
by A Crownless Queen
Summary: Adrien's mother taught him three things before she died: To be kind, to find the truth, and to always fight evil.
1. Part 1

**SPEAK**

 **Summary:** Adrien's mother taught him three things before she died: To be kind, to find the truth, and to always fight evil.

 **Word Count:** 10K+  
 **Rating/Warnings:** T/one curse word, violence  
 **Notes:** This is miraculousturtle's (delayed) birthday present. Many thanks goes to mahaliciously for beta'ing it for me.

Happy Birthday Brownie! (Yes, I was the anon talking about how this was 4K a few days ago, lol.)

* * *

 _"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." - Albert Camus_

* * *

 ** _T_** he boy enters the world during the early, pre-dawn hours on June 1, 2000 with a shrill cry, shattering the silence of the hospital.

Emiline Agreste holds the tiny bundle of pink flesh and blue blankets in her trembling arms with a smile on her sweat-drenched face. Gabriel Agreste studies him with nervous awe.

 _"Adrien,_ " Emiline christens him some time later, and Gabriel agrees with her choice.

And so, Adrien becomes his name.

* * *

Adrien's first word is "ma," quickly followed by "pa," and then "cat." Emiline jokingly calls him her chaton, for his eyes always, always, _always_ latch onto the graceful, mysterious creatures and stays on them until the felines are out of sight.

The first time it slips out of her mouth, Adrien giggles and claps his hands together, expressing his approval clearly.

* * *

As he grows older, it becomes obvious that Adrien's a mama's boy – Not to say he doesn't like his père (Adrien _adores_ Gabriel, and Gabriel always humors him when he shows him the senseless scribbles he calls "dresses"), but he clings to Emiline.

* * *

His first friend is a girl named Chloé who he meets in the park one sunny day. She wears yellow and she always has a smile on her face as she sees him.

"Adri, Adri!" She will yell from her maman's arms, and Adrien will wave at her, running away from his own maman as her maman puts her on the ground.

* * *

The first time he screams at someone is when Chloé rips his teddy bear's arm off when he is seven.

"A-Adrien," she says, for once not calling him _Adri._ He stares at the arm in her hand as the stuffing slowly slips out of his bear's body. He can't speak, can't cry for a moment – It was the bear his papa got him in that fair. He blinks back tears. "I-I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "You broke Mr. Brown." He whispers, and then, louder – "You broke Mr. Brown! Why?!"

"I-I didn't mean to," she snivels. "It was an accident. I'll buy you a new bear, Adrien. I promise. I'm super sorry."

He shoves her away from him. "NO. You will _NOT_ buy me a new bear! I don't want to ever see you again!"

"Adrien!" Maman suddenly looms over him as Mme. B swoops in. Adrien swallows at the hard glint in her eyes as she drops down in front of him. "Apologize to Chloé."

"B-but—"

"No buts."

He turns to Chloé who is leaning against Mme. B's leg with big eyes. Tears run down her cheeks and he bites his bottom lip. "Sorry, Chloé," he mutters, already feeling a little guilty.

Maman sighs and lifts him into his arms, pulling Mr. Brown out of his hands. "I'm sorry this happened Alice. Perhaps we should get together another day?"

Mme. B nods and smiles at her, slipping her bag over her shoulder and grabbing Chloé's hand. "Chloé has homework she has to do anyway. Au revoir, Emiline."

Maman waves as they turn back toward home, and Adrien slips his arms around her neck even though he's a big boy now. Tears still trickle down his cheeks as he whimpers occasionally, wishing he could hold Mr. Brown but Mr. Brown is gone now.

"Chloé's your best friend, Adrien," she says quietly. She's not accusing him or scolding him, she's just stating a fact. "Sometimes being a friend is just letting things go."

He nods against her shoulder, and the words go deep down into his subconscious – Words that he'll try to live by one day when he's older.

* * *

Adrien rests his head on top of his maman's, draping his arms over her shoulders as he looks at the numbers on the sheet of paper.

"What are you doing?" He asks, refusing to move his chin from the crown of her hair. She chuckles.

"I'm budgeting for next month," she explains. "Your père has someone else do it, but I like to make sure everything lines up with my own eyes. Aren't you supposed to be working on history?"

He groans. "I hate history. I'd rather do science."

She rubs her knuckles through his hair roughly, messing it up. "You have to learn your history, chaton. Otherwise it'll just repeat itself until it is told."

"I have no idea what that means."

When she begins to cough, he pulls away – Especially when she has to double over. He raises his hand, unsure of how to help her. But she straightens, still coughing into her elbow occasionally, and smiles at him widely.

"You will understand someday."

~…~

But three days later, she collapses.

* * *

Adrien listens to the doctors speak to his père.

They tell him she has rare, mutant strand of cancer.

They say that it has been silently attacking her system, which is why they didn't catch it until now.

They say that there is no cure.

* * *

Chloé comes over one day, on one of the down days. Adrien is trying to understand substitution equations when she stomps into his too big room in the almost too silent house (he thinks it's too still, that there's no life but he pushes that thought away, into the box in the back of his mind where he doesn't allow light to shine) in all of her stubborn glory.

"Hello to you too, Chloé," he says as she pulls his chair out from his desk. She puts her hands on her hips, blue eyes shining.

"We're going out. This house is too quiet and I haven't seen my best friend in _ages_."

"You saw me a week ago?" He says slowly, not commenting on the first part of her statement. She shakes her head.

"For five minutes. We're going to the frozen yogurt store, and we're going to pretend none of this is happening for an hour."

"But it is happening, Chlo," he says. She pinches him. "Ow!"

"Yeah, but you're going to go mad if you stay in here while she …" She sniffles, rubbing underneath her eye. He averts his eyes. "Plus, my papa and maman are arguing and I … I don't …"

He bites his bottom lip and then he nods. He'll do it not for him, but for her.

"Okay," he says. Besides, it's not like he's going to be able to pay attention to algebra right now. He sweeps the coat off the back of his chair, pulling it across his shoulders and buttoning it up to give her time to compose herself again. "I'm coming."

She smiles weakly. "Thanks, Adri."

He shakes his head, grabbing a hat and an umbrella. "How about hot chocolate instead though? It's too cold out for frozen yogurt."

She laughs. "Okay, fine."

* * *

Adrien sits by his mother's bedside, reading out of his biology textbook to her. He tries to ignore the way the dark circles underneath her eyes contrast against her waxy, gray skin.

" _… Most primates are arboreal or tree-dwelling. Arboreal primates live in the world's tropical and …_ "

"Adrien," she rasps, and he snaps his head back. She smiles at him, but he notices it barely reaches her eyes.

"Maman …" he breathes, and then he closes the biology textbook. "Are you thirsty? Do you want père – Or the doctor? Or …" He stands up. "I'll get them right now actually. I'll –"

She chuckles quietly, and takes his hand. He sits back down.

"Adrien," she repeats, reaching up to swipe some hair out of his face. He doesn't even find the heart to protest the fact she's playing with his hair. He wants to pretend that it's probably not the last time she'll be this alert. She's still smiling, but it's sad now. "Can you do something for me, chaton?"

He nods without hesitation. "Of course."

"Such a good boy …" she says, "I'm so proud of you, Adrien."

He smiles and jokes a weak, "I know."

"Please don't stop being kind." Her eyes are pleading, imploring, as she stares at him, ignoring his joke. His smile falls. "Don't ever stop believing in the good in people."

"I won't," he chokes out. His vision blurs. "I won't. Just please don't go maman … please, don't …"

She laughs sadly. "If only it's that easy. God is calling me to join Him now, and I can't say no."

"I know," he whispers, again.

"Don't be so sad. We'll see each other again one day – Though I hope not for at least another seventy years."

He laughs once. "I hope so too," he says.

She smiles. "Be good for your père too, okay? Don't go kissing strange girls."

"Ma _maaaaaan_." He complains halfheartedly, and her smile widens. He shuffles. "I'll be good. Promise."

She rubs her knuckles through his scalp. "I know."

* * *

 _Emiline Susan Agreste_

 _April 9, 1979 – February 29, 2012_

Adrien thinks the world is a far crueler place than it should be.

* * *

Père eventually stops coming down to eat dinner with him.

Adrien wishes he could remember when he stopped.

* * *

" _Don't go kissing strange girls,"_ his maman's words from almost a year ago echo through his mind the first time he kisses the other model for a photo shoot.

He has to excuse himself when the tears begin to burn in his eyes again.

* * *

His heart feels heavy as he stares at the night sky, wondering what it'll be like to be a star. He wonders what'll it'll be like to be able to flirt and speak what is on his mind without any filter.

He wonders what it would be like to feel wanted and loved.

* * *

Adrien stares at the box sitting on the coffee table before he pokes it with his toe.

It opens, and out comes a black, rat-like creature with a too large head who demands for him to feed it. The thing calls itself "Plagg" and says that he is a "kwami," someone who can give a human the ability to turn into a superhero.

And Adrien doesn't hesitate to seize the opportunity.

* * *

Before long, he realizes that if Adrien is confining, then being Chat Noir is freedom – For he can speak what is on his mind without the worry of the backlash on his père's reputation. He can laugh, pun, flirt – Do whatever he wants. He can speak the truth without any type of filter on his mouth to make it "politically correct."

He can be whoever he wants, and that is somehow more exhilarating than jumping off the Eiffel tower.

Then he meets Ladybug, and everything seems to click into place.

* * *

His père lets him attend the public school when he finally, finally, _finally_ convinces to let him go. It may have taken several hours of negotiation, several days of pleading, outright begging, and even two or three attempts to sneak into the school (one of them successful), but he finally manage to step inside _Collège Françoise Dupont._

* * *

Adrien tries and fails to explain to Marinette about the gum thing at first (and he doesn't quite understand _why_ Chloé would do such a cruel thing; where was the kind girl he'd known all his life who fought injustice tooth and nail?), so he gives her his umbrella, hoping against hope she'll at least _not hate_ him forever. Because he just wants people to like him, and Marinette seems so nice and warm and inviting.

Thunder clashes when their fingers touch, and he feels an electric shot go up and down his arm as they flinch.

The umbrella goes into her hands.

* * *

The next years pass by like a blur, and he thinks that they may very well be the best time of his life. He has Ladybug, friends - Plagg. He can be a hero and not stand by silently when people get hurt like how Adrien Agreste has to – to uphold the Agreste imagine, of course.

Give to the right charity not too much and not too little, turn a blind eye to all of the suffering going on around him …

But that is Adrien Agreste and not Chat Noir, who can go up to that hungry child and give his lunch to her. Chat Noir can be ridiculous to cheer someone up while Adrien Agreste has to be silent and the perfect child. Chat Noir can roar with his cackles and grin stupidly whenever he wants at whomever he feels like while Adrien Agreste has to control how loudly he laughs and how he smiles.

He thinks he's healing.

He thinks that maybe, just maybe, he might be good enough for his père one day.

* * *

As Chat Noir, it feels like he can't _not_ speak. Every purred innuendo slips out of his lips before he can censor it, every emotion he feels he expresses through his body or through his words, every laugh is genuine and true. Each time he feels the rush of fear, he knows that Ladybug will catch him – and that fills him with euphoria.

He thinks he's happy.

* * *

But then, and he's really not sure when or how it happened, or even when it began, it dawns on Adrien that he, _Adrien,_ (not Chat Noir) has begun to speak. He's not sure if it's Nino wearing off on him, or if it's Chat Noir bleeding into his civilian persona.

He wonders if he should stop, but he can't bring himself to hold himself back anymore.

Because, by God, he was sick and _tired_ of pretending by now – He didn't want to fake his smiles anymore, he didn't want to guard his words, didn't want to pretend he was happy when he was sad …

He wondered if his maman would still be proud of him. He thought that she might be, if she knew who Chat Noir was.

Or maybe she'd be worried out of her mind and angry because he knows his pere doesn't like the superheroes. It's been so long since he last saw her, almost three years now …

* * *

On a cold January night, the air nips at Chat Noir through his suit even as he curls next to Ladybug, sipping at the hot chocolate the man at the café had given them when they'd stopped the buggery.

"Chat?" She says, breaking the stillness in the air. He looks at her, and she smiles. Chocolate crusts her lips. "I'm so lucky to know you."

The warmth in his chest has nothing to do with the hot chocolate as he says, "I'm lucky I know you too." Because even if she doesn't return her feelings, it _doesn't matter_ – She's his friend and he's so grateful to have her as his partner.

* * *

The laugh rips its way out of Adrien's chest before he can stop it, surprising both himself and Nino. Because he shouldn't laugh too loud, shouldn't laugh at his friend who trips over a _cat_ because that was mean, but the way he _flailed_ just –

Nino laughs too, and he decides that he's tired of letting his père dictate every move he makes. He's tired of pretending to be something he's not. He's tired of being perfect and soft-spoken and gentle. He wants to laugh and he wants his voice to roar and he wants to be everything Chat Noir is and everything Adrien Agreste is not but can be.

He wants to be more than his père expects him to be.

"Here," he says, still chuckling as he walks over to Nino. He holds his hand out, and Nino takes it with his firm, tight grip. He pulls him to his feet effortlessly. He smirks, "You may want to watch out this Friday, if this is a premonition –"

Nino shoves him, and Adrien stumbles, laughing.

Chat Noir thinks being Adrien Agreste is more than freeing – It's intoxicating.

* * *

"Are those chouquettes?" Adrien asks Marinette when he smells the pastries wafting from the box. She smiles and nods, walking over to his side of the desk.

"Fresh out of the oven. Want one?"

He hesitates and shakes his head. _Yes,_ he thinks, _but my père doesn't want me to eat sweets._

"I'm sorry, I'd love to try one but I can't. Modeling stuff."

"Oh." She drops her gaze to the box momentarily, and he feels guilty for that expression. She looks back up at him with such a hopeful expression that it makes him shuffle. "Not even a small one? You're so thin …"

"Well," he worries his bottom lip. He wants one so bad, but he shouldn't – He really shouldn't. But he's always so hungry, and Chat Noir'll burn off the extra calories later, anyway. He beams at Marinette, and suddenly feeling a little rebellious, he says, "Give me the largest one please."

She gives him two instead. He eats both of them.

And he doesn't even feel a little guilty, which should scare him because he _remembers_ his maman telling him to be good for his père. But he's Chat Noir too, and he's been rebelling far too long to back out now.

* * *

The tears slide over leather as Ladybug crumbles to her knees, and he comes down with her.

"Don't ever do that again!" she shrieks. "You were _dead_ and I thought – I thought – Lucky Charm wouldn't – "

He wraps his arms around her, ignoring the sound of their miraculouses beeping in unison. She clutches the still torn suit, fingers digging into the newly healed skin on his shoulder.

Her touch reminds him that he is still human beneath the mask; that Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste can still die.

"I know," he whispers, "I'm sorry for scaring you like that."

~…~

When Plagg tumbles out of the ring, bleeding and wounded, Adrien panics for a moment.

Then, as he finds and wraps bandages around the small creature, Plagg explains that he _is_ the suit, that _he_ is the one who takes each hit, each blow. And as he explains, the horror fills Adrien and before he realizes it, the tears drip down his nose.

Plagg looks at him with confusion and says, "Why are you crying?"

And Adrien tries to wipe the tears away, but they're only replaced by more as he says, "Because it's not right. You shouldn't be the one injured for my stupid mistakes."

He smiles sadly, telling him, "Oh, Adrien. You don't think my stupid mistakes got me in this in the first place?"

That was when Adrien sobs and pulls Plagg close to his chest, mindful of his injuries as he attempts to hug the small feline.

~…~

The next time Ladybug's life is threatened, Adrien's first instinct is to shield her with his own body – But he remembers Plagg telling him how he's the one who takes each injury.

So he tackles Ladybug instead, and the poisoned arrow sails harmlessly over their heads.

* * *

"Hey, Adrien?" Marinette says slowly, and he looks up at her. "You're a model. Take off your shirt."

He chokes on the coffee Nino gave him (that he shouldn't be drinking) and splutters, "W-What?"

"Just your over shirt," she explains distractedly, and then she swears under her breath and sucks her thumb. "I _hate_ needles."

Alya snorts from the book she is reading and says, "Do what she says, Model Boy."

He slowly slides out of the unbuttoned white shirt and Marinette throws some brown material across his shoulders.

 _A coat. Made out of leather?_

She lifts his arms and ducks under them, measuring his biceps with her hands. For a moment, he scrambles to find something to do so his brain to mouth filter suddenly disappears, and he (stupidly) says, "Like how they feel?"

They both freeze and she blinks up at him with reddening cheeks as his brain catches up with his mouth. Nino laughs. Alya's book hits the ground with a thud.

 _has stopped working._

"I-I –" apparently stops working too.

"Uh – Wait, I – gah – I'm sorry, I meant – I mean – It just –"

She lets go of his arms as if they burn. Her. Not the other way around. He tries to get his brain to work right again.

Then she smiles slyly and _winks,_ and _short circuits_ because ( _ahhhh_ ) she looks so much like Ladybug with that sassy look on her face that it almost scares him –

"That's for me to know and you to find out, handsome boy."

 _Gah. Nope. Yep. Bye. I am dead._

Alya shrieks and grabs Marinette, propelling her away. Adrien soundlessly attempts to say something, _anything_ , but all that comes out is a very unmanly squeak.

"Smooth, Agreste," Nino laughs, "Very smooth."

And he wonders if Chat Noir is slipping into Adrien Agreste's life, or it's Adrien Agreste allowing Chat Noir to enter it.

* * *

"Je t'aime," the words slip off Chat Noir's tongue into the warm, summer night before he can stop them. And Ladybug stares at him with wide, stricken eyes.

His heart sinks faster than a penny being dropped from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

"Kitty … I'm sorry. There's someone else."

He doesn't expect for it to _hurt_ so much, and what made it worse was the fact that she looks so guilty, as if it was her fault for not returning his feelings, and that makes him feel terrible. Because Adrien knows better than to speak what he thinks without pausing and making sure it's the right thing to say.

But Chat Noir says what is on his mind the second it pops into his mind, because he has no head to mouth filter, and suddenly he understands why his père drilled into him so often to _be careful about what you tell someone._

So Adrien forces a grin on Chat Noir face, because he can't … he can't _not_ smile for her. He can't allow that look to be on her face for him. He shouldn't have told her - why couldn't he keep his big, fat mouth shut?

Why was he so selfish?

"I … Okay." He chokes out. He steps back. "Sorry for bothering you … I guess I'll just, err …" He gestures vaguely in some direction he can't even remember. The grin wavers.

"Chat Noir!" she says softly, taking his wrist. His heart stutters and aches, but he looks into her eyes anyway because he can't stop himself and because he can't hurt her and because he's selfish, and _he doesn't deserve her._ "I care for you … you're one of my best friends."

He gently pries her fingers off, knowing she's trying to reassure him but it _stings_ and it hurts me so _much_ but he can't let her know that, because she'll be hurt and he wasn't going to allow himself to hurt her any more. He couldn't, he'd promised he wouldn't –

He wasn't his père, after all.

"I know, my lady." He says, still forcing himself to smile – It feels so _much_ like a smile Adrien would wear, not Chat Noir. "I just …" He shakes his head, unable to finish the sentence. The smile wavers before he pulls it back up. "Thanks for telling me the truth." He forces out.

He yanks his arm out of her hand and springs into the humid night.

~…~

By some miracle, he somehow manages to stumble into his room alive and unharmed physically, even though the rain has begun to pour and the roof tops are slick.

 _Je t'aime …_

He falls against the wall. He feels like he's about to throw up.

 _I'm sorry. There's someone else._

He slides to the ground and brings his hands up, staring at them without really feeling anything.

 _Thanks for telling me the truth._

The drops on the leather can't come from the rain outside because he's inside his room. But his too big room only reminds him of how alone in the world he is – His père is absent all the time, he's treated like a possession, Adrien has to be perfect and Chat Noir is … an idiot.

And he thinks that if this is what love is, what it truly is, _he doesn't want it._

He dry heaves as he folds over, abruptly releasing the transformation as his head falls into his hands.

 _Maman told me there's a time and a place to speak my mind, oh God … Why didn't I remember that? I shouldn't … I should have listened to her._

He gasps through the sobs that wrack across his body. His heart feels like it's being ripped in two.

 _I care for you … you're one of my best friends._

But he didn't want to be one of her best friends – he'd wanted so much more and now … The possibility was gone because he'd open his big fat mouth and he'd been so happy pretending that one day, maybe, perhaps, she'll be able to return his feelings.

But, oh, God, he honestly feels sick and he doesn't want this, and he can't … What if he made it awkward? What if he'd destroyed _that_ too?

He bends over, his head dropping onto his hand as he chokes on his sobs.

~…~

"Are you okay, Adrien?" Marinette appears in front of him with wide blue eyes, shouldering her pink purse. "You look kind of out of it."

He forces a smile on his face, but her gaze is too observant for his own good, so he drops his eyes to the jeans he had tugged on early this morning. He traces patterns over the lines.

"I'm fine, Marinette," he says, even though he feels everything _but_ fine. "I just wasn't able to sleep well last night."

He thinks she doesn't completely believe him even though he told her nothing but the truth (even if he left some of it out), but she doesn't pry.

Either that, or she's too tired to question his words if the bags underneath her eyes were anything to go by. He wonders if he looks as tired as she does.

"Well, if you want, we always have extra croissants that are too old to sell, but still fresh."

The smile feels a little more genuine as he mumbles, "Thanks, princess."

Then he freezes – How stupid can he get, calling her by the same name _Chat Noir_ does?

And he says, "Sorry! It was a slip of the tongue!"

She studies him, but eventually, she nods slowly. "Okay," she says. And then she smiles. "Princess is very cute."

He breathes a sigh of relief and laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, if you're okay with it …"

"'course," she says, hooking her fingers into her pockets. She smiles slyly, a sparkle in her eyes that wasn't there a few minutes again, and it reminds me of that moment in time so long ago – When he gave her his umbrella to shield her from the rain to make peace, to ask for forgiveness. "So long you don't call other girls princess."

He tries to repress his smile. "You may have to fight Nino for that. I may have slipped up once or twice when I was only on my first cup of coffee."

She blinks once, twice, and then she giggles.

"Are you even allowed to drink it? My maman said it stains your teeth."

He smiles guiltily. "Well, my père technically doesn't know so . . ."

~…~

He forces himself to go on patrol with Ladybug that night.

The silence is stilted until a pun slips from his lips and she laughs. The air becomes lighter, and he thinks that they'll be okay eventually.

Maybe their rhythm is not quite in sync, and maybe their timing is a little off, but he knows they'll make it work, because they're Ladybug and Chat Noir and they _have_ to make it work, because they're partners in fighting evil and that's more than just them.

It's always been more than just them, really, but Adrien thinks the Chat Noir hasn't really realized that until now because Chat Noir was caught up in the freedom it gave Adrien.

~…~

A large thermos of coffee and two cinnamon rolls sit on his side of the desk, and Adrien smiles slowly, his heart warming.

It hurts still, but he's definitely not alone. He has several friends who's got his back.

And with friends like them …

Chat Noir thinks Adrien Agreste may be freer than he is.


	2. Part 2

"I think I like Alya," Nino says flatly one day when they're in the park and Adrien is trying to remember how to add two rectors.

"Everyone likes Alya," he responds automatically, penciling in a sketch of a graphing chart. Four to the right, two up …

"No, I _like like_ Alya."

He pulls away from the problem to frown at him. "What do you …" Then he pauses. "Oh. _Oooh._ "

Nino hugs himself. "Yeah. Oh." He sighs, slumping down. "So, do you have any awesome words of wisdom from that genius brain of yours?"

"First, I'm not a genius. Secondly, I'm probably the _last_ person you want love advice from. I've been home schooled nearly all my life – I don't understand most of the stuff that goes on in the school. Wouldn't Marinette be a better choice?"

"No way, man. I'm going to you because you have a different … _perspective._ On things. And you've got moves. Must I remind of you of the time you told Marinette when she –"

"Ni- _no!_ "

Nino laughs, and Adrien rolls his eyes so that he can pretend the heat on his cheeks is out of anger, not embarrassment.

"Plus, Mari may tell Alya."

Adrien pushes himself off the ground to sit on his haunches.

"I think you should tell her," he says, playing with the edge of his shirt. "I mean, who knows what'll happen?"

"I don't want to make it awkward."

He studies the ground. "I think you'll go mad wondering if you don't ask," he says softly. "Or at least, if you don't tell her. Besides, Alya's cool. She'll tell you the truth, but she won't be mean about it."

He was glad that Ladybug had told Chat Noir the truth – If he had, he would just have continued on believing he stood a chance with her when, in reality, her heart belonged to another.

He still flirts with her, but it's out of habit at this point – He knows she'll never return his feelings, and he accepts that. He may dream sometimes, but really …

(At least, that's what he tells himself.)

"Like Chloé?"

He grimaces at the thought of his childhood friend, wondering for the hundredth time what happened to her; why she had become so distorted. "Like Chloé."

Nino smiles slightly.

~…~

Adrien is unsurprised to hear Alya gushing over how Nino asked her out on a date to Marinette almost two weeks later.

* * *

 _Adrien._

Chat Noir turns around.

"What? Did you see something?" Ladybug asks, and he shakes his head to clear it.

"No - Nothing. I thought I just heard my maman saying my name…"

* * *

"Adrien."

He jumps at his père's voice, turning and looking up.

"Père?" He murmurs to himself, and then more loudly, "Is everything all right, père?" _Did I do something wrong?_ he wonders, because that is the only reason he can think of for why his père would talk to him, directly to his face.

"I've discovered that you support those delinquents leaping about Paris." He pulls something out of his suit and shows it to him – A copy of the Lady Blog. "This is unacceptable. I will not have my son's head filled with lies about heroism when these nuances are destroying the natural balance of the city."

Adrien shakes his head, unable to speak for the moment. He's hurt and he's angry and he wants to scream, but he knows that that'll never work with his père. If anything, that'll just make it worst and he has to be rational.

 _Be kind, be kind, be kind –_ He repeats like a mantra, forcing himself to stay calm. Because if he isn't kind, then he'll be no better than Hawkmoth and he _refuses_ to lower himself to that level.

Besides, it's not like his père _knows_ he's Chat Noir.

"Père, they're _helping_ the police. Those people – They'll be arrested or Hawkmoth'll destroy them and then what'll happen to them?"

His père steps up to him, and with a small shock, Adrien realizes that they're almost the same height now. He never realized how much he'd grown throughout the years.

"They're _children_ playing an adults game and I do not appreciate it. They should leave everything to the proper authorities –"

"And what?" he cries. "Turn a blind eye when they can help fight this evil?"

Père narrows his eyes. "I should have never let you gone to that school. You've been warped."

Adrien bites back a groan and forces himself to calm down.

"You don't understand, père – I would have supported them home schooled or not. They fight bad guys and they protect us, the civilians, as best as they are able. If they weren't out there, I'd go out myself and fight the evil."

"You're going to ruin the company's image." His père's voice has that dangerous tone behind it, steady, but the storm is brewing behind it. Adrien grits his teeth.

 _Is it always the company you're worried about?_

"Maman told me to be good for you and I've done my best," he begins, "But she also taught me to fight evil. I can't stand back; my conscious won't allow it. I won't ruin your company, but I can't be this mold you expect me to be anymore!" His voice rose as he gestures wildly. "I'm not stupid."

And then, more softly, "I can't be you."

Hiis père stares at him mutely, and Adrien already feels guilty for shouting but he can't bring himself to regret the words he spoke. It's almost funny. Almost three years ago, Chat Noir was freedom and Adrien Agreste was confining – But now Chat Noir feels more like duty and less like freedom, while Adrien Agreste feels more and more … _more._

Adrien Agreste feels more complete, and real, while Chat Noir feels like the fake – Which is the complete opposite of how it had begun.

"I'm sorry père, but I won't be able to do what you tell me. Not this time."

* * *

"Adriiiikiiiins!"

"Not today, Chloé." Adrien groans, brushing her off as she hangs against his shoulder. She pulls back, but he doesn't notice it, too busy feeling horrible about rowing with his père.

It would be so much easier to yell at him as Chat Noir. At least his père wouldn't know it was him.

~…~

Chat Noir makes his way to Chloé's mansion – Just to check up on her, he tells himself, because he knew that brushing her off earlier that day definitely wasn't very nice of him. He was exhausted and frustrated with his père and with Hawkmoth, but that was still not a good reason to be so cold toward her.

Besides, she won't even know he dropped by.

At least, that is what he intends until he sees the water slide down her cheeks against her paled knuckles, which clench the balcony railing. Then he drops down behind her silently, surprised. Because Chloé doesn't _cry;_ at least, not the Chloé he had grown to know over the years.

Adrien knows this is his fault at least a little, and he feels guilty.

"What's wrong?" he asks, and she leaps into the air, spinning around. But then she groans and slumps against the railing, obviously recognizing him.

"What are you doing on my balcony, Chat Noir?" She looks over his shoulder. "Is Ladybug here?"

He shakes his head. "No. My lady is busy."

She scowls, crossing her arms and turning away from him. "Just you? Ugh, lame."

He laughs, and he would be hurt but this is Chloé and she's honestly never been one to hide her opinion when she dislikes something. Besides, he can't blame her – Ladybug is pretty amazing. So he says, "Hey, I'm pretty cool too."

Silence falls between them, and he hears her sniffle occasionally, but he pretends he doesn't hear her and she doesn't come for comfort. That's the way she works – at least something hasn't changed about her, though so much else has.

He leans against the railing and looks up at the sky.

"Could I ask … What is it about Ladybug you like so much?" There's so much he wants to ask, really. Why she's become so cruel, why she manipulates, what happened to her – But he can't because he's Chat Noir and Chat Noir doesn't know Chloé like Adrien Agreste does.

It's not the first time he hates the whole secret identity stuff, and not the last time either – Because it's becoming more and more frequent as time goes by and Hawkmoth becomes more violent and he becomes more tired and all he wants is for this underground war they're fighting to be _over._

Chloé speaks after a pause with a smile on her lips. "Maybe it's because she saves everyone's life, no matter who …" and then her smile slides off, "How she's so selfless and confident …" – turns into a frown – "How everyone loves who for who she is. How … she's everything I want to be, but cannot.

"Maybe that's why I never end up being anyone's hero."

The tears begin to slide down her cheeks again, and Adrien does not know what to do or what to say because this is Chloé, his first friend, but he is _Chat Noir_ and Chat Noir doesn't know Chloé. So he reaches out, hesitates, and then touches her shoulder instead of hugging her like he would have done if she knew who he is.

Her head falls against his chest as she sobs, wrapping her arms around him and he almost jumps back before he forces himself to stay put and wrap his arms around her tentatively. She squeezes tighter.

"I'm losing my oldest friend and it's … it's all my fault." she shrieks, and the high pitch causes his ears to flatten against his head. "Please, tell me … how I can fix this."

His heart aches as he pulls away and holds her elbow, saying, and forgetting that he is Chat Noir for the moment, "I think you know what to do, Chlo."

She sniffles and shakes her head, and he speaks no more after that as she cries against him. Because those are the only words he can tell her.

Adrien Agreste knows how to be kind, but Chat Noir is better at forgiving.

~…~

The door opens to the classroom, but Adrien doesn't pay attention to that as he doodles his ladybugs. It's probably just Juleka or Alix coming in – early risers.

But the person who speaks is not who expects.

"Adrien …" Chloé voice interrupts, and he jerks, and he stares at her. Because this is Chloé, who throws herself at him, and Chloé who delights in cruelty. The classroom is empty, so Adrien has no way to escape, and he thinks that this may be part of her plan because she knows he'll never be able to be outright rude to her or to anyone else.

So, hesitantly, he replies, "Chloé?" And he's unsure of how to proceed because she's not throwing herself at him and is actually relatively calm. He thinks back to the night Chat Noir found her crying on her balcony a few months ago, and he tilts his head.

He drops what little remains from the mask Adrien Agreste wears and allows his true self to bleed through.

"Are you okay?"

She laughs weakly, rubs her eyes, nods, and then she shakes her head. He decides to stay silent.

"I'm sorry."

He frowns and snaps, "What for?" because there is so much for her to be sorry. She flinches, and he winces at his tone. But he can't bring himself to feel guilty, even though his maman told him to be kind.

It's so hard to be kind when you feel hurt and betrayed though.

"For everything, especially for being a shitty friend." she chokes out. "I'm a terrible person … I've made you uncomfortable … I don't know why I acted so horrid but I just … I guess I was jealous."

Adrien breathes, and she looks so sad and miserable and he just …

He sighs, and his body slumps like a sack of potatoes.

Maybe it's not _that_ hard for Adrien Agreste to forgive like Chat Noir.

"I'm sorry for ignoring you too, Chloé." He says eventually, looking back up. He drops his gaze and wrings his fingers together. "But there's one thing I don't understand … Why are you like this? I mean, _I_ know you're kind, so why would you pretend you're such a bully?"

She sits on the edge of Nino's seat and says quietly, "My papa doesn't want me to socialize with the lower class," she curls her lip. "If I don't act this way then I'll never be able to see maman again and …" She shakes her head and slumps. "But I'm so _tired,_ Adrien. I don't want to be the class bully anymore. I want Ladybug to be proud of me. I want to be your friend. I just … I don't want to be this warped creature anymore."

He doesn't move toward her, can't look at her really, but can't move away either, so he says, "Who said we ever stopped being friends?" and she gasps. He smiles sadly and looks at her dead in the eye. "Why not just be yourself?"

And she smiles slowly back at him too, and says, "Only if you drop the Perfect Model act and let yourself pun once in a while. I haven't heard you actually say a terrible cat pun since we were kids."

He smirks. "That's _paw_ sitively _cat_ astrophic."

She groans and stands up. "You know what? Never mind. Keep the puns to yourself."

Then she freezes and looks at him with wide eyes, and he slowly tilts his head.

"Uh, Chloé?"

"You're Chat Noir." She says blankly, and _he_ freezes. _Nope. Nope no no no no. Ladybug's going to kill me. How did she figure it out? Oooh, I shouldn't have switched the syllables, I can't believe –_ "Oh, my God. You've been waltzing around Paris in _skin tight_ leather, flirting with Ladybug and punning and fighting bad guys and –" Then she breaks out into a laugh. "I can't _believe_ this is how you rebel against your père."

He puffs his cheeks out and crosses his arms, but before he can open his mouth to say something, Alya, Rose and Ivan file in, chattering about some assignment.

Automatically, he begins to slip back into the mask, until Chloé grimaces, marches up to Ivan and says, "I'm sorry for calling you a monster. And I'm sorry for ripping your flower crown, Rose."

So, Adrien allows his posture to be less than perfect and the model smile to be his real crooked grin.

Maybe people can be redeemed sometimes.

* * *

Marinette is eating a baguette and penciling in some new design for some dress.

Adrien watches the way she works, giving up all pretense of doing homework, feeling lazy and warm – Her eyebrows furrow as she mumbles under her breath about something. The sparkle in her eyes as she figures something out. The way her body relaxes and then it tenses as she works on something particularly challenging. The way her fingers deftly breaks chunks off the bread without breaking her concentration. She'll lose herself in her creations for hours at a time, and he thinks it's beautiful.

Watching her work, it makes fashion interesting somehow - Maybe once he had an interest in it, but too many modeling jobs has made fashion nothing less than torture for him at this point. He hates the way he has to starve during the winter months for the Fashion Week too.

He thinks she's pretty too – Not in the way Ladybug is stunningly gorgeous, or how a model demands your attention, but in a more subtle way. She stands out because of the strength of her spirit and he honestly loves the way her eyes light up like they're on fire when she talks, whether it be school politics or designing or anything really –

Loves.

 _Loves._

It suddenly hits him like a brick and he nearly falls off the couch in his surprise.

 _Loves, loves, loves …_

But, Marinette? he wonders.

Of course, it shouldn't be that strange … She reminds him so much of Ladybug at times that he is 50% convinced she's his partner, but more than that, she makes him feel happy.

 _Of course it's Marinette._

"Hah!" she laughs, kicking against the wall and swirling her chair around in tiny circles. "Come look at this Adrien. It's perfect!"

* * *

Adrien throws the first snowball at Chloé's head. She yelps, glares, and then she throws one back.

He laughs completely free for the first time that day when the entire school joins in for the Great Snowball Fight, and he realizes that Adrien Agreste has never been more free before.

As Chat Noir or as himself.

* * *

"I've found out who Hawkmoth is," Chat Noir says numbly as soon as he drops down in front of Ladybug. She perks up, and the hope in her eyes stabs his heart.

It shouldn't, really – If he didn't know who Hawkmoth is, he'd be just as ecstatic as she is. Because they've been fighting for three long years, nearly four now, and they're both growing tired as Hawkmoth grows more desperate.

"Who? Who is he?" She asks, moving forward and taking his elbows in her hands. "Chat Noir?"

He closes his eyes and whispers, "Gabriel Agreste."

She freezes and he forces himself not to cry.

 _Of all people, it's my own père … No wonder he didn't want me to support Chat Noir and Ladybug, he's the one trying to steal their miraculouses!_

"Oh, no," she whispers, and he hears her say his name.

 _Maman, what do I do now?_ He wonders.

* * *

The akuma charges directly for Rose, and Adrien has no time to think before he throws himself in front of her, because he can't let sweet Rose be hurt by that saw. He's Chat Noir after all – and Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste, and his maman told him to never let the evil win.

"Don't hurt her," he pleads without thinking, not sure if he's talking to the akuma or to his père. The purple butterfly lights the akuma's face, and Rose's fingernails dig into his shoulder. She whimpers, but he forces himself to not show fear –

He forces himself to not be afraid, because he _will not allow_ himself to be quiet anymore. He'll roar as loud as a lion in the face of evil.

He'll be silent no more as Adrien Agreste.

~…~

The akuma slowly fades away, leaving the girl to sit in the midst of the confusion.

Adrien slowly pulls away from Rose to help the girl back onto her feet, and he asks, "Are you okay?"

But she doesn't respond, she just stares at him with wide eyes and whispers, "What happened?"

And Adrien doesn't know, so he shrugs as Ladybug enters the classroom.

Chat Noir slowly bleeds more and more into Adrien Agreste, Adrien Agreste becomes less and less Chat Noir, and both people begin to blend and merge into one human being.

* * *

Adrien's hyperaware of the way Marinette leans over his shoulder as she types out something onto the computer. He feels the way her hand presses against his shoulder, the way her chest presses against his back – Goosebumps erupt on his skin where her hair falls against the juncture between his neck and his shoulder and –

"There!" She caws, giggling, "The worst outfit I was able to create."

~…~

It's the last bit of silliness he gets before Hawkmoth finally pushes it a step too far.

* * *

Adrien stares numbly at the way the akuma collapses to the ground, like a puppet that just had its strings cut.

The cops announce he's dead.

~…~

Ladybug screams that night into the dark.

~…~

(Screams _we should have saved him, we could have, how could I let this happen, why did he do this I can't - I hate this_ war _!_ )

~…~

And Adrien cries himself to sleep.

* * *

He wonders what he's doing in school when his père, _Hawkmoth,_ is out there murdering people.

He wonders why Chat Noir can't do a single thing even though he's supposed to be a hero.

* * *

Chloé sits down next to him under the Great Oak tree in the mansion's gardens, and Adrien stares at the rose bushes his maman used to care so meticulously for, before she died all those years ago …

He can't remember what her voice sounds like anymore, or the precise shade of green her eyes were, or what perfume she'd used to wear. He knew it was something flowery, but that was all.

If she hadn't died, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened. Maybe his père wouldn't become Hawkmoth, and maybe Adrien Agreste would still be whole.

Maybe Chat Noir wouldn't exist.

Maybe he would be a child still.

"Are you okay?" She says, looking at him with wide eyes. He shakes his head weakly and exhales shakily.

"I couldn't do anything," he confesses, because he has to get it off his chest. "While that boy … _John …_ while _John_ was dying, I just stood there. I couldn't … my legs wouldn't _move_ and Ha-Hawkmoth, he _tortured_ him before he died… We're supposed to be able to _stop_ him."

She wraps one arm around his shoulder, and he falls against her side, hearing Ladybug's screams mix with the boy's, _John's,_ pained moans and howls.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry …"

* * *

The rain hits the ground as Ladybug walks up to him, holding the umbrella he gave Marinette almost three years ago.

"We can't let Hawkmoth win," Marinette tells Chat Noir, and Ladybug smiles sadly at Adrien Agreste. "If he does, then hope will be lost."

"I know," he says. _But I don't want to fight my père._ He thinks, but he knows he can't tell her that, because Ladybug doesn't want him to know his secret identity and he respects that.

So Chat Noir stays silent, while Adrien Agreste speaks louder and louder.

* * *

Nino nudges Adrien awake right before the teacher walks in, and Adrien smiles at him.

 _You okay?_ His note reads, and Adrien nods.

It's better to pretend that he isn't being eaten alive on the inside.

* * *

Marinette hugs him out of the blue, which is unexpected but not unwelcome.

She gives him the cookies she didn't let him eat that day so long ago, when they were both still kids. When he was still a boy, innocent to the cruelty of the world.

"Whatever it is that's getting you down, I hope you'll be able to change it."

He smiles at her and hugs her on an impulse, and she stiffens before she wraps her arms around him.

"Thanks princess," he breathes, and she presses her lips to his cheek, scorching through his skin.

"You're welcome, Adrien."

* * *

Alya marches up to him one day and says, "You know Marinette likes you a lot, right?"

He chokes on the coffee he snuck from Nino (Stains your teeth, his père says, but he's so angry at his père right now he doesn't care), and says, "She does?"

She smacks her forehead, bangles dangling and clicking together.

"Of course she does. And if you hurt her, I'll kill you with my own two bare hands."

He nods frantically. "I know. I wasn't planning to hurt her. Wait." He pauses, and then he realizes he inadvertently admitted he likes Marinette. "Uh …"

"Save it, Lover Boy. I can see the way you look at her. Just, please, can you two get your act together and hook up? The unresolved sexual tension is killing us. It's been almost _four years._ "

He blinks, trying to keep up with the onslaught of words and sentences. Once he translated them properly in his head, he nods.

"Oh-kay?"

"I better see you two happily together before we graduate."

He smiles wryly and she walks away, apparently satisfied with what she's accomplished.

* * *

On the rainy day of June 21, 2018, Hawkmoth is finally defeated once and for all.

* * *

Chat Noir steps in front of Gabriel Agreste, aware of the authorities surrounding him, that Ladybug has already left, and he has maybe five minutes to speak to his père. But he knows that this'll be the last time they'll see each other, and there are questions he has to ask, questions he has to know the answer to.

"Why?" It's only one syllable, one word, but it's such a heavy question and he has to know the answer.

His père blinks up at him, and then he sighs. "My wife died due to a rare form of cancer several years ago. I wanted my son to see her again."

It stings, and Adrien has to blink tears out of Chat Noir's eyes.

"You could have been there for him," he says quietly. "You both could have been happy." _This wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have lost both of my parents – not just the one._

His père doesn't reply, and Chat Noir's miraculous beeps, reminding Adrien that he has to leave. He wants to wait and he wants to demand answers, but he knows his père will never give them to him – Won't give him even if he knows he is the son who he wants to see his maman's face again.

So he turns and begins to walk away –

"Wait!" He looks over his shoulder at his père, who stares at him imploringly. "Please tell my son, Adrien, I'm sorry."

Chat Noir's eyes burn and Adrien chokes out, "He can't believe you." Though Adrien and Chat Noir both wish he _can_ believe him. Except he knows his père and he knows that he won't change his mind when he becomes fixated on something – Ever.

His père's eyes widen in shock and maybe horror, so Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste smile at him sadly.

Maybe one day, in the future, they'll even be about to forgive their père.

Then Chat Noir slips quietly into the stormy night for the last time.

* * *

One week later, Chat Noir climbs into his spot beside Ladybug on the Eiffel Tower, the silence heavy because there is no akuma they have to take down, no puns or laughter or anything else.

Just a black cat and a bug without her wings.

"Tikki said we'll have to give up our miraculouses soon," she says eventually, breaking the silence. "Hawkmoth is no longer here, so there's no need for Ladybug and Chat Noir anymore."

They don't say anything for a while as he looks at her and she avoids his eyes. So he speaks instead.

"Being Chat Noir was freedom for me at first," he explains, tilting his head back to look at the full moon. "My civilian life was very restraining when we first began. My own home felt like a prison. But now it's …" He shakes his head, trying to figure out how to word what he feels about Chat Noir now compared to back then. "It's not the same."

She nods, as if she understands. She probably does – She knows him better than he knows himself most of the time.

"I think I know who you are, kitty. And I think you know who I am too." He looks at her, startled, but she avoids his eyes. "But I don't want to tell each other our identities … I want to move on with my life." She smiles and looks up at the moon. "I want to be a fashion designer and go off to university and just … leave all of this in the past, you know?"

He nods, though his heart aches. Because Ladybug is his best friend and he doesn't want to leave her behind in the past ever. But he understands what she means.

He kind of wants to leave all of this in the past himself too, just not Ladybug.

But he won't be selfish – If she needs this, then he understands and accepts.

Of course, it helps that he's about 99% sure Marinette is Ladybug.

"I'll miss you," he says quietly, and she chuckles.

"It's not forever. We'll see each other again eventually." She looks up at him, and he remembers all the times Marinette talked to him about heaven and afterlives.

He smiles, stands, and bows.

"Of course, my lady. But until then …"

She hugs him, and he closes his eyes, wrapping his arms around her. He remembers how when he was younger, his heart would have stopped and stuttered at her touch.

Now, all he feels is warmth and trust. Because Ladybug is more than just a friend, a lover, a sister, a partner, to him – She's all of that and beyond. She's his soulmate in every sense of the idea possible, and he'll follow her through the depths of Hell if she asks.

She pulls away and brushes hair out of his eyes, gently tracing around the wound his père gave to him.

"Thank you, kitty."

Chat Noir and Adrien smile, and he presses his lips against her forehead.

"Until we meet again," he breathes, and her smile is gentle.

"Until we meet again," she echoes.

It's a promise between two halves of a whole, and he knows that they'll both keep it.

* * *

But it doesn't stop the tears from falling down his cheeks when he finally enters his empty, childhood home. He's not even sure if they fall because he's sad, or if it's because he's happy.

Chat Noir is needed no longer, and Adrien Agreste has never felt so free in his life.

* * *

"Will you be okay, kid?" Plagg asks as Adrien fingers his ring. He smiles sadly and nods.

"I'll miss you but I'll be okay."

He pulls out the box, and Plagg collides with his chest, hugging him as best as his tiny arms allow him to. And Adrien cups his hand around the tiny creature, gently stroking his fur.

When he pulls away, Adrien takes his ring off and holds it up in the light, watching it glimmer.

"Farewell, Plagg. And thank you."

He puts the silver ring into the box and leaves it on his windowsill.

~…~

It's gone the next day.

* * *

"Hey dude, you okay?" Nino asks as Adrien slides down next to him on Monday morning. "I saw the news Thursday night. Are the authorities really taking your home away?"

Adrien nods mutely. "It's not really the house I'm worried about. I hated it. I'm just not really sure where I'll go next since I won't be eighteen until October."

"Dude, you can stay at my place," Nino claps him on his shoulder. "We'll catch up on all those sleepovers we never got over the years – "

"—and if you want some actual sleep," Marinette butts in, "You can sleep at my place."

"Or mine," Alya adds, thumbing through her phone.

The three of them look directly at Chloé, who looks at them and tosses her head.

"Daddy may spare a guest room once or twice, but don't push it too far, Model Boy."

He laughs and throws his arms around Marinette and Nino, who both yelp, and Marinette crashes into the back of his seat.

"I love you guys, you know that right?"

"Ugh, you better." Chloé grumbles, wrinkling her nose. "I don't pull all these favors for free."

Marinette laughs, and the wink she throws at him reminds him _so much_ of Ladybug.

"Hey, isn't there something you want to say, Lover Boy?" Alya reminds him, and he blinks at her in confusion. She jerks her head toward Marinette with a glare on her face.

"Marine… Ooh!" He looks at her. "Would you like to go out and grab a bite to eat sometime, Princess?"

She tilts her head, "We always eat together, Adrien."

"I mean. Like. On a date. Kind of eat? …ing?"

She grins slowly and nods. "Sure!"

Alya groans. "I was hoping a bit more romantic and planned out, but that'll do, I guess."

Marinette smiles at him, hooks her pinky around his, and the wink she throws him is all Ladybug.

"Don't be silly, Alya. This is perfect."

And he smiles back at her.

The teacher steps in, and Adrien can't respond to back Marinette up, but he thinks that's okay because she knows how he thinks and what he feels - She probably knows him better than he realizes, and he likes that.

Chloé sits back down next to Sabrina. She detaches their pinkies, but Adrien feels Marinette's presence at his back just as strongly as he felt Ladybug's.

He's sad, and at some point he's sure everything he'd done as Chat Noir will catch up with him eventually, but for the moment he's happy and he's surrounded by friends, and that's all that matters.

The future looks beautiful to him, he's happy with the present, and he'll make amends with the past eventually.

Maybe that's what life is all about really.

* * *

Adrien thinks his maman would be proud of him if she could see where he is now.

* * *

 _"_ _Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." - George Washington_


End file.
